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news piece on ambidextrous pitcher; Drafted by the Yankees today
Topic Started: Jun 6 2008, 09:03 PM (115 Views)
HomieYank
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He'll be on "kids on deck" for sure, but as a lefty (high 70s-low 80s, slider) he basically a non prospect even as a specialist. As a righty(high 80s, decent curve) he is an average prospect at best.
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HomieYank
Jun 6 2008, 09:03 PM
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He'll be on "kids on deck" for sure, but as a lefty (high 70s-low 80s, slider) he basically a non prospect even as a specialist. As a righty(high 80s, decent curve) he is an average prospect at best.

Cashman called this one in from Carvel. :wall:
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HomieYank
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Jun 6 2008, 09:45 PM
HomieYank
Jun 6 2008, 09:03 PM
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He'll be on "kids on deck" for sure, but as a lefty (high 70s-low 80s, slider) he basically a non prospect even as a specialist.  As a righty(high 80s, decent curve) he is an average prospect at best.

Cashman called this one in from Carvel. :wall:

It was like the 18th round :please:
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Giambi_MVP_25
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Can he hit? <_<
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HomieYank
Jun 6 2008, 10:47 PM
YankeeBaseball
Jun 6 2008, 09:45 PM
HomieYank
Jun 6 2008, 09:03 PM
Link

He'll be on "kids on deck" for sure, but as a lefty (high 70s-low 80s, slider) he basically a non prospect even as a specialist.  As a righty(high 80s, decent curve) he is an average prospect at best.

Cashman called this one in from Carvel. :wall:

It was like the 18th round :please:

He picked up a one legged pitcher in the 30th round to join the circus.
Step right up. :clown:
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HomieYank
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YankeeBaseball
Jun 7 2008, 08:30 AM
HomieYank
Jun 6 2008, 10:47 PM
YankeeBaseball
Jun 6 2008, 09:45 PM
HomieYank
Jun 6 2008, 09:03 PM
Link

He'll be on "kids on deck" for sure, but as a lefty (high 70s-low 80s, slider) he basically a non prospect even as a specialist.  As a righty(high 80s, decent curve) he is an average prospect at best.

Cashman called this one in from Carvel. :wall:

It was like the 18th round :please:

He picked up a one legged pitcher in the 30th round to join the circus.
Step right up. :clown:

:laugh:
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Venom
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What the f*ck are the Yankees thinking? Drafting this freak, for what?
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Mattingly23
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Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte headed to Staten Island Yankees
BY ANTHONY McCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, June 12th 2008, 9:24 PM

Harnik/AP
Yankees prospect Pat Venditte throws with both arms.

OAKLAND - Pat Venditte, the ambidextrous pitcher from Creighton whom the Yankees drafted in the 20th round last week and signed, will get a chance to pitch with both arms when he starts his pro career at Class-A Staten Island.

"We do think he can do both," said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yanks' vice president of amateur scouting. "We'll let (pitching coordinator) Nardi Contreras and those guys decide moving forward, what they think. But he's had success from both sides, so I think we're going to give that a shot."

Venditte, who was also drafted by the Yanks last year in the 45th round but did not sign, was 9-3 with seven saves and a 3.34 ERA for Creighton in 2008. Even though he is a reliever, he led the Missouri Valley Conference with 101 strikeouts in 86-1/3 innings. In his college career, Venditte struck out a batter with both arms in the same game 39 times.

Venditte was listed as a righthanded pitcher in a release sent out by the Yankees to announce his and other picks' signings, but Oppenheimer said that was because "there's no spot in the computer to list a switch-pitcher."

Venditte is currently at a minicamp for drafted players at the Yankee player development complex in Tampa and is slated to leave tomorrow for Staten Island. Oppenheimer said the Yankees generally observe their new players for 30-45 days before deciding to make any major changes in their games.

Venditte uses a six-fingered glove that has two webs and he deftly switches hands depending on whether he's facing a lefty or righty hitter.

When Venditte was a toddler, his father traced both his hands on a piece of paper and faxed it to Mizuno, the baseball equipment company, and Mizuno made him a glove he could use on both hands. As Venditte grew, his father, Pat Sr., would re-trace his hand for new gloves.

Venditte throws harder from the right side - 86-89 mph and he can touch 90, according to Creighton coach Ed Servais. Lefthanded, Venditte throws 78-82 mph. "I liked the way he threw lefty because he threw a Frisbee slider that lefties couldn't stay in there against," Servais said in a telephone interview.

"I know scouts thought he had more 'pitchability' from the right side because he throws harder, but he's a very competitive young man. He can get it done."

Venditte pitched at Omaha Central High School - the same high school Gale Sayers and Ahman Green attended - and walked on at Creighton, which is less than a mile from his high school. Servais had seen Venditte pitch in high school - Venditte was pitching against Servais' son - but the coach didn't believe Venditte was ready for Division I baseball.

Pat Sr. called Servais over the summer and asked if he had a walk-on spot for his son and Servais figured, "What do we have to lose? We aren't investing any money in him."

"It was one of the best things we ever did," Servais said. But Venditte pitched only righthanded his freshman year.

"I didn't want to look like we were in the carnival act business," Servais said. "But Pat went out that next summer and pitched well, changed his body, got in better shape. He came back and proved he could pitch with both arms. He was good enough to get hitters out and he certainly did that for us in the last three years."

Opposing players would rush to the front of their dugout when they realized that Venditte was switching arms, Servais said. "It was unlike any reaction we'd ever seen," Servais said.

"Staten Island doesn't know what they're in for this summer," Servais added. "We asked a ton of this kid and he did it. Fans there are going to flock to him."

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Venom
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Stop it. He will never amount to anything.
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Mantlemurcer
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Venom
Jun 13 2008, 03:43 PM
Stop it. He will never amount to anything.

Agreed....he must be very good at :jerk:
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YankeeBaseball
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He sits 78-82 as a lefty. Sure that's really gonna do it in the majors..... Step right up! There's a sucker born every minute. :laugh2:
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Venom
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Cashman gets hosed again. <_<
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